It's Census Day
It is census day where, theoretically every Canadian will fill out a form and let the government know who and where they are. The governments use these statistics for all kinds of reasons including making decisions about the allocation of resources.
Typically, after 92 years, the census records are released in their entirety and, as many of you saw with my post on the recently released 1911 census records, they are extremely fascinating and are highly useful for genealogists and other researchers. This year, however, for the first time, there is an "opt in" necessary for the release after 92 years. This means that if you check no for question 8 or leave it blank your information will be used only for primary, governmental purposes and not released to genealogists or others in 2098. You may ask - so what? why is this important? For anyone who has tried to find anything about their family history, or about demographics, or done any historical research they know the value of having census data available. If you opt out your decendents will not be able to find you and neither will anyone else. As far as they are concerned you will not have existed. So do genealogists (and archivists) of the future a favour and check yes.
rgsc
posted by Rgscarter @ 8:39 AM
2 Comments:
Heh, I was actually excited to get the census stuff in the mail, as this is the first census I have ever been able to partake in.
Whooo Hooo census, I will opt in Rodod.
Heh, we should have all done it on paper and written "For Rod" beside the yes checbox. That way future archivists could have talked about the infamous Rod of the 2006 census...
Either way Danielle and I just finished it up online, we agreed to have nosy archivists picking through our stuff in 92 years
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